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TALES OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
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In the Torah reading (Exodus 13:17 to15:26), we read
that following the departure of the Jewish people from
Egypt, Pharaoh regretted his decision to allow them to
leave, and pursued them to the Reed Sea. There,
Moshe raised his staff and the Sea split and the B'nei
Yisrael crossed over. Once all of the B'nei Yisrael had
crossed, Moshe again stretched out his staff and the
water returned to its former state, drowning the
pursuing Egyptians. When the B'nei Yisrael saw the
dead Egyptians on the sea shore....... "The
people . . . . . believed in G-d and Moses His
servant." Exodus 14:31
And then there was the time that Rabbi Dovid Leikes,
one of the Chevrayah Kadisha (inner circle of
followers of the Baal Shem Tov), was speaking with
several followers of his son-in-law, Reb Mottel of
Chernobyl (also known as the Chernobyler Rebbe).
Reb Dovid asked the followers of Reb Mottel, "Tell me.
Do you have perfect faith in your Rebbe, Reb Mottel?"
None of the men responded.
After a pause Reb Dovid persisted, "So nu?" Finally,
one of Reb Mottel's adherents came back with, "Who
can say he has perfect faith?"
Reb Dovid nodded and continued. "My friends, let me
tell you a story about faith. Once, several of us in the
Chevrayah Kadisha spent a Shabbos at an inn with
the Rebbe. As usual, Seudah Shlishit went late into
the night."
"The Baal Shem Tov told us of the mystical insights he
had received while meditating, praying, and studying
Torah during that Shabbos. When he finished
speaking, we Benched, said Maariv and then
Havdalah."
"Immediately afterwards," Reb Dovid continued, "we
sat down together with the Baal Shem Tov for Melava
Malkah."
"After a few minutes, the Baal Shem Tov turned to me
and said, 'Reb Dovid, reach into your pocket and take
out a gulden, please, and buy us some mead (honey
wine) from the inn keeper.'"
"I was still wearing my Shabbos clothes and of course
I never carry money on Shabbos. Yet, without thought
or hesitation, I reached into my pocket to take out the
gulden, as my Rebbe had requested. And - the most
amazing thing! I found a gulden in my pocket."
The disciples of Reb Mottel, after hearing this story,
commented to Reb Dovid, "You know, that is really not
that amazing. It's just another miracle story about the
Baal Shem Tov."
"Yes. That is so," said Reb Dovid. "But the point of my
telling you the story is not to show that the Baal Shem
Tov does miracles. My point is that my faith in my
Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, is so great that I didn't
even think to question his request. I just reached into
my pocket for the money. That it was there is
secondary."
And so it was.
Freely adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard M.
Cohn, Patent Attorney) from a letter from the Rav of
Mezibush as translated in Stories of the BAAL SHEM
TOV by Y.Y. Klapholtz
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Sefer Baal Shem Tov
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on the Torah
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Then G-d said to Moses: 'Behold, I will make
bread rain down to you from heaven; and the people
will go out and gather enough for each day . . . . (Ibid.
16:4)
A poor person has the privilege of speaking to the
Holy One every day. A rich person, however, receives
all his sustenance from G-d at once, and
doesn't need to ask Him for his daily requirements -
not unless he is very righteous, and realizes that
everything he owns is worthless, without G-d
giving it life-force to sustain him. The proof is that a
sick person has all the food he needs, but still cannot
sustain himself.
A poor person, with nothing to eat, must beseech
G-d each day. Thus, he merits speaking to
Him every day. Furthermore, G-d must also
remember the poor person daily, to arrange his
livelihood. However, G-d does not need to
remember a rich person each day, for He already gave
him everything he needed at one time.
Rav Yebi,
Tehilim
Translation and commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer
Shore.
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THE HEART OF PRAYER
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on Prayer
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Section 3.3
The Baal Shem Tov
taught:
G-d repays each person
based on the love the person has for the mitzvah,
such as praying, after they perform not necessarily
before.
To you, G-d, is kindness; for You
repay each man according to his deeds. (Psalms
62:13) The problem with this verse is well known, but
it can be explained according to something the Baal
Shem Tov once said. There was once a great
accusation (against Israel) on Yom Kippur. The Satan
was not accusing wicked people, but the G-d-fearing,
who pray each day in synagogue. For on their way to
pray at the synagogue, they may see a wagon load of
wood for sale, and stop to bargain over the price.
Thus, they come late to services and miss Borchu
and Kedusha - all for the small discount they receive
from the seller.
None of the defending angels could refute
this, but the Baal Shem Tov came to Israel's defense.
True, he said, that a mitzvah can be lost for some
trifling amount before it is done; however, after the
mitzvah has been fulfilled, a Jewish person would not
sell it for the greatest fortune, even the foolhardiest
person.
With this argument, he sweetened the
harsh judgments. This is the meaning of: "To you,
G-d, is kindness; for You repay each man
according to his deeds." That is, according to the love
the person has for the mitzvah after they perform it, not
necessarily before.
Degel Machane Reuven 59
Translation
and
Commentary by Rabbi Dr.
Eliezer Shore
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DIVINE LIGHT
The Mystical Light of the Baal Shem Tov
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Section 3.
THE Zohar says, "If a person is worthy,
Heaven gives him the nefesh-soul. If he is more
worthy, Heaven gives him the ruach-soul. If he is even
more worthy, Heaven gives him the neshama-soul. If
he is still more worthy, Heaven gives him the
neshama to the neshama-soul."1 Rabbi
Mordechai of Chernobyl2 said that the
Baal Shem Tov attained this highest of levels.
It is known that the nefesh-soul comes from the
spiritual world of Asiyah (Action), the ruach-soul from
the spiritual world of Yetzirah (Formation), the
neshama-soul from the spiritual world of Beriyah
(Creation), and the neshama to the neshama-soul
from the spiritual world of Atzilus (Emanation). The
soul of Baal Shem Tov was from the spiritual world of
Atzilus.3
1 Zohar 2:94b
21770-1837
3Tzror HaChaim in the name of the
Trisker Rav
Translation
and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore
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KESER SHEM TOV
Anthology of the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov
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THE LETTER
To my beloved brother-in-law, my
friend who is dear to me as my own heart and soul,
the exalted rabbi and Chasid, renowned for his Torah
scholarship and fear of Heaven, our master, Rabbi
Avraham Gershon, may his light shine. Peace unto
him and his family, his modest wife, Bluma, together
with all their children; may they be blessed with life,
amen, sela.
I received the letter written by your holy hand, which
you sent by means of the emissary from Jerusalem, at
the fair of Luka in the year 5510 (1750 c.e.). It was
written with extreme brevity, explaining that you had
already written at length to each of us individually and
had sent those letters by means of a certain man en
route to Egypt. However, the letters never arrived, and I
was sorely grieved that I never saw the work of your
holy hand which was written in greater detail.
Assuredly this is due to the calamitous state of the
many lands in which the plague has spread because
of our many transgressions. Not far from our region
the pestilence has reached the holy community of
Mohilev, as well as Wallachia and Turkey.
[Your letter] also states that the
Torah teachings and mystical revelations which I sent
you through the rabbi and preacher of the holy
community of Polonoye did not reach you; this, too,
caused me great distress. It certainly would have
given you great joy if they had reached you. I have
since forgotten many [of those teachings]. However,
the few details I still remember I will write to you in
brief.
On Rosh Hashanah of the year 5507 (1746 c.e.), I
made a [Kabalistic] oath and elevated my soul in the
manner known to you. I saw wondrous things in a
vision, the likes of which I had never witnessed since
the day my mind first began to awaken. The things
that I saw and learned when I ascended there would
be impossible to communicate, even if I could speak
to you in person. When I returned to the lower Garden
of Eden, I saw many souls, both living and dead,
some known to me, and others unknown -- their
number was beyond reckoning. They were hastening
to and fro in order to ascend from one world to another
through the Column known to those initiated into the
Mysteries. Their joy was too great for the mouth to
express or the physical ear to hear. Also, many
evildoers were repenting, and their sins were being
forgiven, since it was a special time of Divine favor.
Even to me, it was amazing how many of them were
accepted as penitents, a number of whom you also
know. There was great joy among them, too, and they
ascended in the same manner.
Together they begged and
implored me unceasingly, "Because of the glory of
your Torah, G-d has granted you an additional
measure of understanding to grasp and to know
these matters. Ascend with us so that you can be our
help and support."
Because of the great joy that I beheld among them, I
agreed to go up with them... And I besought my
master (Achiyah HaShiloni) to accompany me, for the
ascent to the Supernal Worlds is fraught with danger.
From the day of my birth until now, I never experienced
such an ascent as this.
I went up from level to level until I entered
the Palace of Moshiach, where Moshiach studies with
the sages and righteous, as well as with the Seven
Shepherds. There I found extremely great rejoicing,
but I did not know the cause of this delight. At first I
thought that it might be due to my having passed away
from the physical world, G-d forbid. Later they
told me that I had not yet died, for they have great
pleasure on high when I effect mystical unifications in
the world below through their holy Torah. However, to
this very day, the nature of their joy remains unknown
to me.
I asked Moshiach, "When will you come,
master?" And he replied, "By this you shall know: it
will be a time when your teachings become publicized
and revealed to the world, and your well-springs have
overflowed to the outside. [It will be when] that which I
have taught you -- and that which you have perceived
of your own efforts -- become known, so that others,
too, will be able to perform mystical unifications and
ascents of the soul like you. Then all the evil klipoth
(forces) will be destroyed, and it will be a time of grace
and salvation."
I was amazed at this and greatly troubled,
since a long time must pass for this to be possible.
But while I was there I learned three seguloth and
three Holy Names that are easy to learn and explain.
My mind was then set at ease, and I thought that with
these teachings the people of my own generation
might attain the same spiritual level and state as
myself. They would be able to elevate their souls and
to learn and perceive just as I do. However, I was not
granted permission to reveal this during my lifetime. I
pleaded for your sake to be allowed to teach you; but I
was denied permission altogether and took an oath to
that effect.
Yet this I can tell you, and may G-d
assist you, so that your way be pleasant to the Lord:
Never stray, particularly in the Holy Land, whenever
you pray or study, and with every utterance of your lips,
from intending to bring about the unification of a Divine
Name, for every letter contains worlds and souls and
G-dliness, and they ascend and combine and
unite with one another. Then the letters combine and
unite to form a word, and they are actually unified with
the Divine essence -- and in all these aspects, your
soul is bound up with them. All the worlds become
unified as one, and they ascend and bring about great
joy and delight without measure. Consider the joy of a
bridegroom and bride in this lowly physical world, and
you will realize how much greater is the joy on such a
lofty spiritual level.
G-d will surely help you. Wherever you turn,
you will succeed and become enlightened. "Give
wisdom to the wise, and he will become wise all the
more." The KST version ends here. Please pray for my
sake, that I might be privileged to dwell in
G-d's land during my lifetime; and pray for the
remnant of our people who still remain in the
Diaspora.
These are the words of your brother-in-law who longs
to see you face-to-face, who prays that length of days
be granted to you and your wife and children, and who
wishes you peace "all your days-including the nights,
for many good years, amen, sela.
Yisrael Baal Shem Tov of the Holy Community of
Mezibush
Translation and commentary by Rabbi
Yehoshua Starrett.
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